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30 Dec 2017

Beauty queens should be allowed to have boyfriends, says ex-belle

For the ex-beauty queen, Precious Jefferson Ogarekpe, there is no reason why beauty queens should not be allowed to keep relationships.

After getting married in July, Ogarekpe knew she couldn’t compete for beauty crowns anymore and decided to set up African Beauty Queen International pageant.

She told Saturday Beats, “I know one of the rules of beauty pageants is that the queen should not get pregnant. She must not be married as well. But if our queen doesn’t breach the rule, we don’t have problems with her relationship life.”

According to The winner of Miss Globe Nigeria in 2016, being a queen shouldn’t stop a lady from enjoying her life provided she is responsible and decent.

“The world is evolving every day. I believe the major reason why they have the rule is to protect queens from getting pregnant. But the truth is that we are all humans and everyone has feelings. I think nothing should stop you from being yourself, but you should be aware of your responsibility as a queen as well.”

She revealed that since she was not a size eight like most beauty queens, it was challenging for her at the beginning of her modelling career.

She reacted, “The modelling industry comes with pressure. They put a lot of pressure on girls to be size 6 and keep fit always. But things have changed now; people are beginning to accept plus-size models.

“But I was never under any pressure to be slim. I knew I had to stay fit and healthy, and I worked towards it. During the last pageant I went for, they complained bitterly that I was size 12. But it should not just be about your figure; it is about what you have to offer, your confidence and intelligence. I believe there should not be so much emphasis on size, but it doesn’t mean a beauty queen shouldn’t be conscious of what she eats. Everyone has different body systems. We have some people who can never go fat, no matter what they eat.”